The "Atlantic", 1832.

This Engine was built by Messrs. Davis and Gartner of York, Pa. for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and was set at work in Sept. 1832 and hauled 50 tons from Baltimore 40 miles, over gradients having a maximum rise of 37 feet per mile and on curves having a minimum radius of 400 feet at a rate of 12 to 15 miles per hour. In this engine "grasshopper" beams were employed with spur gearing to communicate the motion to the wheels. The engine weighed 6½ tons. The waste steam was not discharged directly up the stack, but against the blades of the fan in such a manner as to cause it to revolve rapidly and thus produce the strong blast of air necessary for the combustion of anthracite coal.

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November 2009